France Offers Final Price for 26 Rafale Marine Jets: India Gears Up for Strategic Defense Deal!

France has officially submitted its final price proposal to India for the acquisition of 26 Rafale Marine jets, ahead of Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's upcoming visit to France. Defense sources informed ANI that after extensive negotiations, the French side has offered a significant price reduction.

The discussions revolve around deploying the jets on the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and various other bases across India. A French delegation visited India last week to finalize the negotiations.

The deal is set to be a key topic during the India-France Strategic Dialogue, where NSA Doval is scheduled to meet with his French counterparts starting tomorrow in Paris. This agreement is vital for the Indian Navy as it seeks to enhance its maritime strike capabilities.

India has approved modifications in its letter of request, which includes the integration of the indigenous Uttam radar into the jets. While this integration process may take approximately eight years and incur additional costs, it has been a crucial aspect of the negotiations.

Furthermore, India has requested France to equip the jets with indigenous armaments, including the Astra beyond-visual-range missiles and the Rudram anti-radiation missiles. The pricing for this deal has been influenced by previous agreements, factoring in inflation and the earlier contract for 36 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force.

As part of this project, the Indian side is expected to receive a larger quantity of long-range air-to-air Meteor missiles and anti-ship weaponry. The aim is to finalize the deal before the end of the current financial year. Additionally, some requirements from the Indian Air Force have been incorporated into the naval deal, including approximately 40 drop tanks and a limited number of workstations for the aircraft.